7 Russian coal miners die in accidents in Siberia

This photo released by VSE42.RU, shows an overturned bus at the Raspadsky open cast, 100 kilometers (63 miles) away from the town of Mezhdurechensk, Kemerovo Region, Russia, Friday, Feb. 8, 2019. The bus overturned, killing several miners, according to emergency officials. (VSE42.RU via AP)

February 08, 2019 - 7:39 AM

MOSCOW - Russian officials say that seven workers have died in two separate accidents at Siberian coal mines.

The Investigative Committee, the nation's top state investigative agency, said that in one accident Friday, a truck carrying miners to the Raspadskaya coal mine in the Kemerovo region in central Siberia veered off the road and fell 8 metres (26 feet) down a slope. The agency said six workers were killed and 16 others were injured and hospitalized.

In another accident in the nearby Belovo region of Kemerovo, a section of a coal mine collapsed, trapping four workers. One of them died of injuries while three others have been rescued, according to the regional government.

Kemerovo Gov. Sergei Tsyvilev said the accidents highlighted the need to improve safety standards at the region's mines.